Silviu Stahie at Softpedia reports
The Internet is abuzz today after Bill Gates published an image on his Facebook page and a link towards his website with the text "15 years from now, most people in poor countries will be able to take classes online." It's a sound goal and it's perfectly doable, but in the image posted on Facebook the operating system is Ubuntu.
As a former Microsoft CEO and the founder of what we call today Windows, you might think that he would pay a little more attention towards his message, but this particular detail has slipped past the radar of the ones posting on Facebook, unless he did that himself, which would be even funnier.
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
Bill Gates Inadvertently Shows Off Ubuntu on His Facebook Page
|
Log In/Create an Account
| Top
| 36 comments
| Search Discussion
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by VLM on Monday February 02 2015, @06:33PM
The message is weird too.
15 years from now, most people in poor countries will be able to take classes online
Uh, I live in a former 1st world country rapidly returning to our 3rd world roots, not in our local version of the 1% at all, and I had no problem taking a coursera class years back in automata theory, and much longer ago I was awarded a BSCS partially based on online work back in 2005.
I figured the post was some kind of retro thing from 1980 but he's seriously trying to push that message in 2015, that stuff many people were doing decade(s) ago won't be ready until a quarter century after its already BAU.
(Score: 1) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02 2015, @07:16PM
> I live in a former 1st world country rapidly returning to our 3rd world roots,
Oh puhlease.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by VLM on Monday February 02 2015, @07:35PM
Oh puhlease.
Fair enough AC, I admit you are correct that I added something that did little but distract from my core message, that the dude's pushing yesterday's accomplishments as a hopeful possibility for tomorrow.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02 2015, @07:48PM
Not just added "something" you completely misrepresented reality as if your first world experience was even remotely equivalent to life in the actual 3rd world.
As for your central thesis, you really don't know what you are talking about. In 3rd world that exists outside of your imagination the best available to the overwhelming majority of the population is a low-bandwidth feature phone or an expensive hourly seat an internet cafe. Neither are sufficient for the goals Gates is talking about today, much less decades ago.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by frojack on Monday February 02 2015, @10:02PM
This AC hits nail on the head if you ask me.
What we take for granted in the EU and US, and even Russia is simply not generally available to many 2nd and 3rd world countries. They don't have either the funds or the infrastructure for everyone to get on the net.
EVEN when they do, getting over the learning curve to take an on line class can be daunting. We take for granted our knowledge of how the web works, how to quickly look up a new word or phrase in a second tab/window. We EACH have our own computers, with our own accounts, book marks, cookies, etc that remember where we are in a course, rather than some horrible mess in a library or cafe where you inherit exactly what the prior user left on the machine.
I simply can't remember the last time there was a shared computer in my life. It was pre-windows 3.1 days, I guess.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 03 2015, @04:22AM
Russia was 2nd world, and ireland is 3rd world. Sigh.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02 2015, @10:57PM
It must be nice to live in your gated community, within an hour's commute of DC.
Most Americans, however, (the ones who live outside the beltway) have a different view of the state of the USA.
55 Percent Of Americans Are Within 4 Months Of Financial Disaster [commondreams.org]
In stark contrast to the fraudulent official numbers, [netdna-cdn.com]
the truth is that nearly 1 in 4 Americans can't find a job. [shadowstats.com]
This is very close to the numbers of 1929 (the start of the Great Depression).
The folks who do have jobs (note that many have more than 1 so they can simply survive) are not sharing in the wealth of the richest country on the world. [thinkprogress.org]
The vast middle which existed from FDR's New Deal up to Reaganomics is disappearing as the Working Class gets poorer every day.
Is that your definition of "First World"?
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02 2015, @11:05PM
> Is that your definition of "First World"?
(1) Is there some other country of significant population size that is better off?
(2) One of the main reasons that we don't have depression era problems as a result of that unemployment is because the government provides a safety net that simply does not exist in the actual 3rd world. 14 million people receive federal disability checks, that covers a significant number of the "shadow unemployed" ain't no such thing as disability in the 3rd world.
> It must be nice to live in your gated community, within an hour's commute of DC.
Don't pass out from the oxygen deprivation way up there on your high horse.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 03 2015, @01:14AM
some other country of significant population size that is better off?
**Not quite as awful as some others** is setting a really low bar.
...especially when compared to the prosperity gained by the Working Class of the USA (aka the vast middle) during the Cold War years.
USA's current jobless rates and home foreclosure rates and homeless rates and incarceration rates are not what *I* consider to be consistent with First World status.
the government provides a safety net
Republicans started whittling away at that as soon as FDR was dead.
Blue Dog Democrats and other Neoliberals have been assisting in that erosion for some time as well.
With a Reactionary majority Congress, I don't expect that that cushion between an existence that doesn't completely suck and abject poverty will exist in a very few years.
What's needed is MANUFACTURING JOBS.
Republicans|NewDems|Neoliberals are all about exporting those.
your high horse
I may not have gotten your exact location|circumstances correct, but the White Privilege you wreak and your willingness to swallow/regurgitate elite propaganda is obvious.
-- gewg_
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 03 2015, @12:48AM
Is that your definition of "First World"?
My definition of "first world" is the set of countries that were formerly considered to be allied against the second world "Soviet Bloc" countries. Now, I'd be more likely to use "developed nations" most of the countries that were formerly called "first world". By the definition of developed nations as those having highly developed economies and technological infrastructure, the United States still qualifies as a "developed nation".
I've kept a job these last 7 years, my wife has had a job whenever she wanted one within 2 weeks of starting to look. Some people I know haven't been able to find the jobs that they want, but I don't know anyone willing and able to work that's just sitting at home. That includes my mentally ill, high school dropout brother in law.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02 2015, @07:31PM
Is it really a shock that 3rd world countries and poor people in general would be using Ubuntu? They can't afford Windows. I find it down-right civil and humanitarian that Bill would allow that picture to be posted. Yet, look at most of the ungrateful, 4th-grader-type, remarks being posted. The guy has done a good thing and everyone gives him grief. The mark of a true leader.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02 2015, @07:55PM
Unless I'm missing comments that were deleted or some such wtf are you referring to with "4th-grader-type, remarks"??
I imagine this is a pro ms troll, and it looks like a pre-formatted message since it refers to non-existant things.
On a side note I'm worried about the infiltration of this site by bots/trolls etc. The last few weeks the submissions and comments have been... Odd.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by arashi no garou on Monday February 02 2015, @08:40PM
It does appear to be boilerplate. I will say this though, Microsoft is slowly edging towards giving away Windows for free. The upcoming version for the Raspberry Pi will be completely free of cost, Windows 8.1 with Bing and Windows 10 are free for touch devices under 10.1 inches, and any existing Windows 7 or 8 computers will get to upgrade to 10 for free. I hope the trend continues and we will soon see the end of their Draconian activation and licensing schemes, at least on the consumer side (I doubt they'll ever kill the cash cow that is enterprise licensing). It's about time they caught on to what Apple has been doing for a few years now.
(Score: 2) by isostatic on Monday February 02 2015, @08:50PM
The problem is there's very few real people actually posting anything worthwhile (including me). Too many stories to dilute commentators.
I've installed avantslash on a home machine and have started reading ye olde site again. It was an interesting year.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02 2015, @09:36PM
I was referring to the comments left on the facebook page. Sorry, I should have made that clear. No accusations were meant to be leveled at SN'ers.
However, I do have one now for Mr. Anonymous Coward. Fsck off. An anonymous coward is the last type of poster that should be complaining about trolls.
(Score: 0, Offtopic) by zugedneb on Monday February 02 2015, @09:45PM
yeah, cuz real people don't go to shady pubs for meetings and planning a revolution...
instead they get an account at random site, and talk about assagne and this other snowden guy and how the government fucks everybody...
real quality dizkutions...
like, wow, a spy agency using tech x and y to accomplish their work...
like wow, wtf who would have thought this...
even me, an ex slashdotter with en engineering degree in electronics, sayz, like holy fuck, spy agenciez anctually use technology and available information sources to get the job done... like, holy fuck I would do something completely different dunno what, but still different...
plz plz plz mod me up, government fucks everybody, and spy agenciez using tech... no way man
just no way
old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
(Score: 0, Offtopic) by zugedneb on Monday February 02 2015, @09:36PM
On a side note I'm worried about the infiltration of this site by bots/trolls etc. The last few weeks the submissions and comments have been... Odd.
it's how soldiers feel when they return from the fight in the borderlands...
it's like this: for those of you who actually had biology classes, you remember the rant about population going up when there was lots of resources, and going down when there was few resources... well, that was not a "nice" process, probably...
so, evolution, as it went on, made people better and better at killing, like for instance ninjas, they are really cool... but also gave the insight and intelligence...
like, you go to war, kill people, and say, wow man, I just killed someone who could have been my brother, or I killed someone with oceans of knowledge and wisdom, just cuz I am like 10 ninjas and he is not...
but you fight for the king and country...
and then you come home from the war, and see that the local civilian population has turned into cunts, hippies amd funny eazy going niggas...
and it's like, wtf has happend, has everyone been bodyswapped?
are these the poeple I have killed for?
yeah I understand how you feel
old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
(Score: 2, Offtopic) by Sir Finkus on Monday February 02 2015, @09:56PM
but also gave the insight and intelligence...
Well, to some.
Join our Folding@Home team! [stanford.edu]
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by zugedneb on Monday February 02 2015, @10:04PM
pliiiz elaborate on the shortcomings of my contribution...
is it offtopic?
is it plain wrong?
do you feel butthurt in some way?
is it the package if the content?
do you feel discomfort?
what is wrong, mister?
old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02 2015, @10:14PM
I dunno about him, but when I read your posts in this thread my eyes glaze over. They seem meaningless and random. I'm sure it makes sense to you, but at best the coherency and topicality are quite low.
(Score: 2) by Sir Finkus on Monday February 02 2015, @10:18PM
Sometimes I suspect that he wouldn't pass a turing test himself, despite his incoherent ramblings about bots and trolls. Whatever, I'm done with this thread. Sorry to drag things off topic.
Join our Folding@Home team! [stanford.edu]
(Score: -1, Troll) by zugedneb on Monday February 02 2015, @10:28PM
it was not me, i quoted the parent, you stupid fuck
old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
(Score: 2) by Sir Finkus on Monday February 02 2015, @10:32PM
Oh, I'm sorry, I misread.
Join our Folding@Home team! [stanford.edu]
(Score: 0, Troll) by zugedneb on Monday February 02 2015, @10:30PM
and now I also see, that particular AC got a +4 insightful for his/hers ramblings about trolls and bots...
and here are you complaining about me...
old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
(Score: 0, Troll) by zugedneb on Monday February 02 2015, @10:21PM
there are some who complain about the state of others contribution.
I simply picked some topics, and some angle from which I presented them.
Now to the questions:
1. do you have an ontopic answer to my contribution
2. does any of you think that I am actually stupid?
let us engage in this debate
old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02 2015, @10:30PM
Get help. Just go to the VA and tell them you need help.
(Score: 1) by zugedneb on Monday February 02 2015, @11:12PM
on this forum, the important part is, when you see ramblings about evolution and killing, that you all ask yourself, how much protection do I need, who protects me, and are they doing it for anything else then "the game" itself, nowdays...
so when you enter a "combat" with more than 50% of winning, it is called domestic violence, or bullying...
but those who enter combat in situations they know the win is lesser then 50%, many times by a lot, have special minds... you see, there are mechanism in the brain, that "unlink" the self from, well, itself, and the person can not "perceive" or "feel" the self anymore, because, well, there is no self left to feel... these mechanisms unlink others also from the mind, so they can locate others, but cant feel them anymore...
as it is said, when you kill someone with your bare hands, and as life slips, the other guy gives up, and for a short while before he dies, you can feel, he is no one, just a dude in the universe...
I do not need help, neither protection...
It is you who need both...
So ask yourself, how much of it and from whom, do you need?
old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 03 2015, @08:04AM
Oh, you need help alright. This is the problem with PTSD, and insanity in general, you are always the last to know. Go talk to the shrink at the VA. There is no shame, just get help.
(Score: 1) by Nuke on Tuesday February 03 2015, @11:31AM
Is it really a shock that 3rd world countries and poor people in general would be using Ubuntu? They can't afford Windows ...... 4th-grader-type, remarks being posted.
You are the one who sounds like the 4th grader - for missing the joke, the fact that Gates shows a screenshot of Linux on his page and applauds the scenario.
The guy has done a good thing and everyone gives him grief. The mark of a true leader.
What bullshit. He is handing out money that he should not have in the first place. The first "good thing" he should do, and has not, is to give back a large portion of his money to the millions of people he and his company have ripped off, by illegal monopoly practices and forced purchases of Windows with every PC bought in the high street for the last 20 years. Then we can judge him on what he does with the remainder.
If I (or almost anyone else in the World) give a one penny to charity it leaves me far worse off than Gates has left himself. Does that make me better than Gates?
(Score: 2) by Nobuddy on Monday February 02 2015, @09:00PM
It would not surprise me at all if he uses one.
(Score: 1) by gtomorrow on Tuesday February 03 2015, @12:11PM
Citation(s), please.
I remember (although possibly incorrectly) that Microsoft did everything they could to get the OLPC to use Windows. Although unsuccessful in supplanting Linux-based Sugar, the birth of the netbook which followed, which initially came with some form of Linux, was eventually replaced through their usual conniving almost across the board with (at the time) XP.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 03 2015, @09:56PM
Nicholas Negroponte started with a processor that sipped power (purposely avoiding x86).
The original OLPC design wouldn't run Windoze because MICROS~1 didn't support the architecture of that chip.
From the start, Intel was pressing Negroponte/OLPC to use their power-hungry chips.
...and their partner, M$, was pressing for a Windoze-compatible design (instead of doing the work required to port their junk to the ARM architecture that OLPC used).
In late 2008, Negroponte caved and made their stuff Wintel-compatible, pissing off a huge number of people who had made donations based on the original paradigm.
http://techrights.org/wiki/index.php/OLPC#2008 [techrights.org]
It was at THAT point that M$ became a fan of OLPC.
Of particular interest on that page is
"GNU/Linux Was Never a Problem for OLPC, Claims Technical OLPC Staff" (2009).
...and, yes, OLPC took so long getting their stuff out the door that they were overtaken by hardware manufacturers who were more mainstream.
-- gewg_
(Score: 5, Insightful) by gawdonblue on Monday February 02 2015, @09:09PM
For real work. He knows about the backdoors.
(Score: 5, Funny) by c0lo on Monday February 02 2015, @09:17PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Interesting) by ticho on Monday February 02 2015, @11:23PM
Is this a nerd equivalent of a nip slip?
(Score: 2) by arashi no garou on Monday February 02 2015, @11:49PM
I thought it was a whale-tail. I'm thoroughly confused.